d1x.txt

Enhancements over the original Descent 1 v1.5 version
-----------------------------------------------------

This file describes the enhancements over the original Descent 1 v1.5
version in the current D1X version.

Contents
--------
1. Multiplayer menus
2. Multiplayer commands
3. Other multiplayer enhancements
4. General gameplay enhancements
5. Customize enhancements


1. Multiplayer menus
--------------------

   This section describes the network join game and start game menu
   enhancements.

   - command line / d1x.ini parameters usable to skip menus:
     -mission <file> will skip the level selection menu the first time
                     a game is started
     -startnetgame will skip all but the level selection menu, up to
                     waiting for other players to join.
     -joinnetgame will skip directly to the join player menu

     in conjunction, -pilot <pilot>, -mprofile <file>, -mission <file>,
      and -startnetgame can be used to avoid many keypresses, giving the
      ability to go directly from the prompt/desktop to within the game.


   - In game, game master menu
     CTRL-N during a game to bring up this menu.  From here, you can change
     values for joining players.  You can make the game close/open,
     restricted, change the maximum number of players, change the game
     name, and change the reactor invulnerability.  These changes are
     communicated to all d1x players with versions 1.40 or later, and effect
     all players joining after the change.  Bans can also be saved locally in
     this menu. Only the game master has access to this menu.

   - Join game menu
     This should mostly explain itself. A plus sign (+) after the game
     number means that it's a D1X game, which is currently only visible
     for D1X v1.01 and higher users. If the gamemode is UNSUP, then the
     game uses features not available in your version. Upgrade to a new
     version to play this game.
     - U key
       press the 'U' key to get the users/pilots currently in the
       selected game
     - I key
       press the 'I' key to get game information on the selected game
     - S key
       press the 'S' key to get score grid for the selected game
              (will not automatically update)

   - Multi Profile
     From the main Start new game menu, you can save and load new profiles.
     These contain all the possible information for starting a new game,
     except game name, mission, and level number. This can be automatically
     loaded from the command line or with d1x.ini.

   - D1X options (submenu from Start new game menu)
     Here you can set options new for the D1X versions:
     - Short packets
       If you enable this there will be less data needed to tell
       everybody where you are (28 instead of 87 bytes). This helps for
       internet games to reduce the required bandwidth, which can reduce
       lag/loss, which means a smoother game :-) The downside is that
       your position and speed is transferred less precise, so everybody
       'hops' a bit more, which is why you generally don't want to
       enable it for LAN games, where you have enough bandwidth.
       If you specify the parameter -shortpackets, this field is on by
       default.
     - Alternate Vulcanfire
       This enables the use of the alternate firing system for the vulcan
       cannon. The alternate vulcanfire works works by changing the firing
       of the vulcan to a local system.  Instead of 'fire' packets, the
       firing player sends 'vulcan on' or 'vulcan off' packets.  On packets
       are sent periodically, but are less often than the original vulcan
       fire packets, and are much smaller.  Off packets are sent whenever
       the trigger is released.  D1x players who have a recent enough
       version keep note of the on/off state of a player, and if there is a
       player that is marked 'on', they create vulcan shots emanating from
       the player at his current position.  If no 'on' packets have been
       received for a period of time (about half a second), then the vulcan
       automatically turns off.  Normal packet behavior is used for any
       players that do not have d1x or do not have a recent enough version.
     - Packets per second
       This is the number of packets that will be send to other players
       every second to tell where you are. If you do anything special
       (pickup a powerup, fire, etc.) you will send a packet anyway, so
       it only affects moving. The higher the number, the more bandwidth
       you need (bad for internet games), and the smoother everybody
       moves.
       With the parameter -pps <n> you can change the default value from
       10 to <n>.
     - Network socket
       Here you can specify another socket than the default of 0. If you
       use another value than 0, people have to use PgUp/PgDn in the
       join game menu to find your game.
     - D1X only game
       Starting with D1X v1.1, you can make a game D1X only, which
       means only for D1X v1.1 and higher users. The advantage is that you
       set some settings not possible with the original game. Also a D1X game
       uses some special code to avoid more powerups appearing in a
       level than there where originally, which is often seen when
       playing over internet.


     The following options only work in d1x-only games:
     - Maximum players
       Set this to the maximum number of players you want in your game.
       Useful with internet games if you have a slow connection, or
       if it's a small level.
     - Set objects allowed...
       Here you can remove the various powerups in Descent from the level,
       e.g. disable the invulnerability powerup if you don't like it.
       The removed powerups are replaced with shield powerups.
     - Drop vulcan ammo
       If you enable this a vulcan ammo powerup will appear somewhere in
       the level after somebody has shot 1250 rounds.
     - Enable ignore/ghost
       This enables the new IGNORE (and releated), GHOST/UNGHOST and
       DISCON commands (see below). These commands are always enabled
       for non-d1x games.
     - Enable radar
       This enables the radar system for all players in the game.  See
       below for a description of the radar.
       

2. Multiplayer commands
-----------------------

 *** Multiplayer message commands are now prefaced by either a / or a $.
     commands that take a parameter can use either a space or a colon.
     ie: to ping, at the f8 prompt "message:"  type: "/ping <pilot>"

   - /ALTVULCAN
     This function sets all d1x players with compatable versions to use
     the alternate vulcanfire functionality.  Anyone in the game can use
     this function.

   - /BAN:<playername>
     This function bans the specified player.
     NOTE: You must be the game master in order to use this function.
     ban changes are not saved between games automatically.  Use the game
     master menu or the command line switch to save bans.  If you use this
     on a person who is currently in the game, but does not have the d1x
     'kick' functionality, the person will not be expelled from the game.
     Anyone banned, however, will not be able to join as long as you are
     the game master.  If you save bans, they will be stored in the file
     bans.d1x in the d1 root directory.  Bans are applied on the tcpip
     equivalant of x.x.x.*

   - /BANN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above /BAN:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be banned.

   - /UNBAN:<playername>
     This function unbans the specified player.
     NOTE: You must be the game master in order to use this function.
     ban changes are not saved between games automatically.  Use the game
     master menu or the command line switch to save bans.

   - /UNBANN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above /UNBAN:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be unbanned.

   - /BANLIST or /LISTBANS
     Lists the current game's bans.

   - /CLEARBANS
     Clears all bans from the list.  Just like using UNBAN or UBANN on each
     ban.

   - /D1X:[playername]
     This function communicates to other players in the game, and requests
     a resyncronization of d1x versions.  It will reset packets per second,
     shortpacket values, and version numbers for the selected player.  If
     you do not include a player name, it will request resync from everyone
     currently in the game

   - /SHORTPACKETS
     This function sets all d1x players currently in the game to use
     shortpackets.  Any D1X user can initiate this command in a game.

   - /HANDICAP:<value>
     Use this function to give yourself a handicap of <value>.  Afterward,
     the ship will respawn with shields at this value.  To turn this off,
     call HANDICAP:100.  For values above 100, you must either be game
     master, or the game will ask permission of the game master.

   - <playername>:HANDICAP <value>
     The game master can send this message to any d1x player (even if he
     is not a d1x player, himself) to set the handicap of that person.
     Only the game master can set a person's handicap above 100.

   - /KICK:<playername>
     This command will kick an offensive or lagged user out of a game.
     NOTE: This command ONLY works if you are game master. It also WILL
     NOT work if the player you are trying to kick doesn't use THIS
     version of Descent.

   - /KICKN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above KICK:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be kicked.

   - /DISCON:<playername>
     Temporarily disconnects a player from YOUR game. (Not from
     everyones.) Normally, they will appear back into the game within a
     very short time. On one occasion, the ignore command, (described
     later,) did not ignore a player until this command was issued after
     the ignore command was issued. This command is still here just for
     such an occasion.
     This command can be disabled in D1X games (by disabling ignore/ghost).

   - /DICONN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above DISCON:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be disconnected.

   - /GHOST:<playername>
     Removes a pilot-less ship from the game. Many people are familiar
     with the "phantom ship" syndrome.  This occurs when a player
     disconnects from a game, and Descent doesn't get around to cleaning
     up that player's ship.  The result is a "phantom ship" that can get
     in your way.  This command removes them.
     This command and the related UNGHOST command can be disabled in D1X
     games.

   - /GHOSTN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above GHOST:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be ghosted.

   - /UNGHOST:<playername>
     This command essentially raises the dead phantom ships, in case you
     want to play pyro volleyball with megas and these invulnerable
     entities. ;-)

   - /UNGHOSTN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above UNGHOST:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be unghosted.

   - /IGNORE:<playername>
     Adds an offensive or lagged player to the ignore list.  This ignore
     list is a list that holds names of which Descent should not accept
     multi play packets from.  The effect is that that player disconnects
     from the game and is gone. This command is useful if you are not
     game master, and thus cannot kick, but want a player out of the
     game.  It is also useful if the player you want to kick doesn't use
     D1X v1.00, and kick doesn't work. Descent clears the ignore list
     automatically when you restart it.
     NOTE: When you ignore someone, Descent reports this to all the
     players with the message: "I'm now ignoring <playername>!" so that
     all players know that you are ignoring somebody. This is currently
     not send to the player you just ignored.
     This command and all related commands can be disabled in D1X games.

   - /IGNOREN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above IGNORE:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be ignored.

   - /UNIGNORE:<playername>
     This command removes a player from the ignore list.  NOTE: In this
     current version, the player will not just "pop" back in the game
     when you unignore them.  Your version has to receive some packets
     from them that tells it "I'm here," before they can rejoin.

   - /UNIGNOREN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above UNIGNORE:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     be unignored.

   - /CLEARIGNORE
     This command clears the ignore list of all player names.

   - /LISTIGNORE
     This command lists the names of all the players you have ignored on
     the HUD.

   - /PING:<playername>
     This command tells you how long it takes to send a packet to
     <Playername> and back to you. It is very slightly inaccurate, since
     packets are only processed every frame, so the minimum time is at worst
     1/<your FPS> + 1/<their FPS> when the real ping is 0.
     You don't have to specify the full playername, the first that matches
     the character(s) you gave is used.  If you enter only "PING:", it will
     ping all players, though the numbers will be slightly higher.

   - /PINGN:<playernum>
     This functtion works as the above PING:<playername>, but uses the
     current order of players in the kill list to select the player to
     ping.


3. Other multiplayer enhancements
---------------------------------

   - Serial and Modem support
     Basic serial and modem support has been made available for both
     DOS (or in windows) and Linux.  These are still in early stages... bug
     reports are very welcome.

   - ping statistics: ping loss%
     pressing ctrl-f7 turns on the ping display.  This periodically pings
     the other players in the game, and shows the most recent pingtime, and
     keeps a loss statistic next to the player names score.  The loss values
     are reset every 5 minutes.  At the times when the values are reset, the
     loss may jump to negative or slightly positive numbers for a time.
     Don't worry about it until it stays consistant over longer periods of
     time.  As of d1x 1.40, ping packets are very small.  Older versions of
     d1x, however, user rather large packets for pinging, so beware if there
     are many players with older versions using this functionality, as it
     might lead to packet flooding.  You can turn this display on by default
     with the command line switch -pingstats

   - new F7 score setting - kills/deaths(Game Effeciency%)
     Along with the previous settings of pilot statistics, press F7 to
     how in the player stats, each pilot's kills, deaths, and their current
     game effeciency.

   - Recent message buffer
     Press Alt-F8, and the last HUD messages will be repeated, up to
     the full screen.

   - hud message logging
     turn on or off hud message logging using ctrl-alt-` (left apostrophe)
     This writes to the file hudXXXXX.log all hud messages, including game
     responses, commands, player messages, and others.  Logging is halted
     and the file closed when you press this key again, quit a game, or
     exit the mission.  A score chart is appended to the end of the file
     at this time.

   - Macros can be functions
     You can now edit your macros to contain functions, such as pingn:1 or
     various other commands or messages.

   - Lifetime pilot effeciency
     lifetime kills/deaths effeciency is stored in <pilot>.eff.  Viewable
     from within the game on the pause-hud info screen in multiplayer mode.

   - Homers track on closeest target to reticle
     Homers will lock on, when fired, to the object that is most most
     directly in front of the ship.  They will track on the closest object
     to the homers line of direction  (this is usually the first-targetted
     object)

   - Kalinux support is now available for Linux users

   - Required packet acknowledgment for certain types of information,
     including scores, deaths, spew, etc.  In other words, between D1X
     clients, there should be no loss of these types of information.

   - Shift-ESC now quits to dos from multiplayer

   - You can't pick up multiple vulcan cannons in multiplayer anymore
     If you moved (accidentally) over a vulcan cannon in a multiplayer
     game in the original Descent 1, you would pick it up like in
     single player.

   - When someone holding the vulcan cannon dies, and they have more than
     2500 vulcan rounds, more vulcan ammo packs are also dropped, equal
     to the amount of ammo remaining upon death

   - Player joining forming game alert
     Now when a player joins your forming game, a audible beep will
     sound to let you know someone wants to join. (Useful if you're like
     me, and fall asleep waiting...)

   - -playermessages parameter to suppress messages you get when you
     pickup powerups or run over powerups you don't have.

   - HUD netgame info
     If you press Pause during a multiplayer game, you get some info
     about the game and the players on your HUD. Press Pause again to
     remove it.

   - Recent message buffer
     Press Alt-F8, and the last three HUD messages will be repeated.
     Repeated messages will start with a '*'.

   - Energy Bay Packet Burst no longer exists.  In the original Descent,
     sound packets were sent with each ~frame to let others hear you
     getting energy.  From fast computers, this would cause large amounts
     of packets, very often flooding modems and causing a large jump in
     the game.


4. General gameplay enhancements
--------------------------------

   These enhancements are useful for both single and multiplayer.

   - proximity bomb counter on hud

   - screenshots are written to scrnXXXX.pcx and will not overwrite
     existing screenshots

   - increased ranges for brightness and joystick settings
     Short calibration is no longer needed, and low-gamma monitors, or
     video cards are compensated for

   - optimizations for pentium and pentium pro/pentium II
     exe's are available in optimized versions.  There are some -slight-
     play differences for the optimized versions.  Most have been fixed,
     but at this point, the energy bay crystals do not give off as much
     light as in the normal version.  Other effects might also result.

   - -hwsurface command line switch
     For Linux users, only.  Instead of using local ram buffer, the
     framebuffer is accessed directly for displaying.  Usually gains quite
     a few fps.

   - -nicefps parameter
     Allows you to specify Nice FPS for Linux

   - Nice FPS option
     You can use this, in the linux build, to free cpu cycles
     between frames.  The lower the maximum fps is set, the more cpu
     cycles will be freed, normally.

   - Nice Menus
     Frees cpu during menu browsing in the linux build.  Almost 0% cpu
     usage in most cases.

   - -joy209 parameter
     If you have multiple gameports, the second will almost always use
     port 209.  use this parameter to specify looking at the second
     port for the joystick.

   - dropping bombs while firing plasma usually no longer explodes

   - cd controls are implemented.  To start or stop (pause), press alt
     backspace.  To skip to next track, alt =.  To skip to previous
     track, alt -.  The current track will repeat.  May have strange
     behaviour with audio/data cds.

   - integrated Sidewinder joystick calibration, no need to do the old
     workarounds

   - d1x option to change mission directory from within the game

   - New key: weapon autoselect toggle.  Toggless automatic weapon
     changing.  Still allows cycle keys and direct weapon switch.

   - Shift-F3 toggles radar on/off.
     top half of radar screen is "above",  bottom half is "below".
     left half is to your left, and right half is to your right.
     within the center circle is usually ~onscreen.

   - automatically reads d1x.ini.  If any other -ini is used, d1x.ini
     is not automatically read.

   - -ini <file> parameter
     You can use this instead of a list of command line options to run
     d1x.  Put all the command line options you use into the specified
     file, each option on a separate line.  ie: d1x140 -ini myini.txt
     where the file would look like:
            -missiondir missions
            -notitles
            -fps
            -pps 7
            -shortpackets
            -playermessages
            -cockpit 2
     etc.


   - -notitles parameter skips the first two title screens when starting
     the game.

   - -noredundancy parameter to suppress messages you get when you run
     over powerups you don't have.

   - -missiondir <directory> parameter
     With this parameter you can specify an alternate mission directory.
     E.g. if you want to use the missions subdirectory for your missions,
     like D2, you start d1x with -missiondir missions.

   - Alternate hud views
     Switch between the new alternate hud views using alt-f7.  You can
     set the default using the command line switch -hud <n>.  There
     are three settings.
      0 = normal
      1 = show weapon/ammo/availability listings
      2 = in fullscreen, same as #1, but in different places.  In cockpit
          or statusbar, exact same as #1.

   - -cockpit <n> parameter
     With this option you can set the initial cockpit to something other
     than the full cockpit.
     You must specify a value after -cockpit to indicate which cockpit
     you want:
	 0 - full cockpit
	 2 - status bar
	 3 - full screen

   - -demo parameter
     With this option you can immediately start a demo. You must add the
     filename of the demo (e.g. mydemo.dem) after the -demo option.
     The demo will keep playing until you hit ESC.

   - -fps parameter
     Automatically enables framerate display on startup

   - -maxfps <n> parameter
     Allows you to specify the default maximum framerate.  Maximum
     possible for this value is 100.

   - Maximum framerate option
     Allows you to set the maximum framerate.  The game will go at most
     the value you specify.  Below is definitely possible.  Maximum
     possible for this value is 100.

   - FRAMETIME 'cheat'.
     When you type FRAMETIME during the game, a FPS (frames per second)
     indicator will appear/disappear.
     You can enable this by default by specifing the -fps parameter.

   - Customizable weapon autoselect order
     There are two new options in the Options menu (or F2 in the game)
     to set the primary and secondary autoselect ordering. If you pick
     up a weapon that you didn't have before, and that weapon is above
     the weapon that you currently use in the ordering list, it will be
     selected. Also if you are out of ammo for your current weapon, the
     highest weapon in the ordering list for which you have ammo is
     selected. If a weapon is below the Never autoselect line, it will
     never be selected automatically.
     For the curious: this information is stored in <callsign>.plx files
     (in a plain text format) to keep the .plr files compatible with the
     original Descent 1.

   - Cycle primary/secondary keys
     in the key configuration menu for joysticks and keyboard, there is
     now a cycle primary and cycle secondary key position.  Any normal
     configurable key can be used.  These weapons cycle down the
     autoselect list. (same as d2)

   - Doing things while being dead
     You can now send messages and change options when you are death.

   - Fusion no longer keeps charge when switching weapons (aka fusion bug)
     In the original Descent you can charge the fusion, switch to
     another weapon, and switch back to the fusion. This was removed
     because it's an undocumented hidden feature that gives you quite an
     advantage when you know it, which is unfair against those who don't
     know about it.

   - Weapons no longer fire 'through' doors.
     In the original Descent, if you were close enough, some weapons would
     originate on the opposite side of a door without opening it.

   - Energy Bay Laser Burst no longer exists.  In the original Descent,
     after running out of energy, you could switch to lasers, hold down the
     fire button, and move into an energy bay.  Large amounts of rapid fire
     lasers would be shot, depending on how long you had held down fire.

5. Customize enhancements
-------------------------

   You can do one or multiple of the things below to add customized
   elements to your level.

   - Customizable images
     You can replace a Descent 1 image with an image created by
     yourself. Here images are all things you see while playing:
     textures, powerups, cockpit etc.
     You can use DTX by Stefan Nilsson to create .dtx patch files with
     your new images. Give this file the same name as your level
     (replace .rdl with .dtx), and put it in your mission hog or in your
     missions directory, and the images in that level should be replaced
     with the onces in the .dtx file.
     Note that unlike Descent 2 the original textures are restored when
     you go to another level.

     It's also possible to use Descent 2 .pog compatible file renamed to
     .pg1, but since you can't use the D2 tools because D2 has different
     image numbers and there are no D1 .pog tools, it's not recommend.

   - Customizable sounds
     This works just the same as customizable images. Add your sounds
     to the same .dtx patch file (possibly without images), and you
     should hear them instead of the onces you replaced.
     Sounds are restored when you go to another level too.

   - Customizable robot data
     You can modify the robot data used by Descent. This means
     behaviour, weapon, score, etc. Use a tool for Descent 2
     to create a .hxm with your customized data, rename it to .hx1,
     and it should work with D1X v1.00+.
     Note that the following (and releated) D2 attributes don't work in
     D1:
     weapon 2, kamikaze, badass, enery drain, taunt sound, companion,
     smart blobs, energy blobs, thief, pursuit, lightcast, death roll,
     flags, default behavior, aim.

   - Customizable polymodels
     You can replace any polymodel (robots, ship, missiles, etc.) with
     one you create, just like in D2 v1.2. There are currently no tools
     specifically for D1 polymodels, but you can use the D2 ones.
     Building (e.g. with Polytron by Descent Network) gives no troubles,
     but since the model numbers differ between D1 and D2, you can't use
     the model number descriptions given by D2 tools when creating a
     .hxm with your polymodel. Also the robot animation (joint
     positions) might give problems.

   - .mid support
     It has always been possible to add custom music to your levels by
     including the game<n>.hmp/hmq files in your .hog, but it sometimes
     (often?) gives problems to convert your song to the hmp format.
     D1X v1.01 and higher will first search for .mid files before
     it'll read the .hmp ones, allowing you to skip the hmp conversion.

   - Briefing 'language' enhancements
     You can use the following new $-commands:
     $C2...$C7 for resp. red, blue, gray, yellow and purple.
     $$ to print a $
     $; to print a ;